Coin of Justin II c. 565 - 578

Curator: Up next, we have a coin, specifically a "Coin of Justin II," housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It looks incredibly weathered; the details are softened as if worn down by time and many hands. Curator: Exactly. Coins served a dual purpose: facilitating economic exchange and disseminating imperial imagery. This one offered tangible proof of Byzantine power to its users. Editor: I'm struck by the labor involved in producing these objects. Consider the mining of the metals, the skill of the die-cutters, and the sheer volume required for circulation. Curator: Certainly. And the institutional authority required to guarantee its value and ensure its acceptance across different markets. Editor: I find myself contemplating the lives touched by this small object, the political implications carried, and the vast resources involved in its making. Curator: It’s a powerful reminder that even the smallest artifact can unlock complex histories of production, exchange, and power. Editor: Indeed, a humble yet potent testament to the material and political underpinnings of an empire.